Article
Ecology
Leslie E. Forero, Andrew Kulmatiski, Josephine Grenzer, Jeanette Norton
Summary: This study investigated the effects of plant-soil feedbacks (PSF) on the relationship between species richness and biomass production. The results showed that plants had varying effects on subsequent plant growth through soil feedbacks, with different feedbacks for different plant species. Plant communities with higher species richness had higher biomass production, mainly due to complementarity effects. PSF models improved the predictions of the diversity-productivity relationship, providing important support for understanding how biodiversity enhances ecosystem services such as biomass production.
Article
Forestry
Li Zhang, Linhui Zhang, Lulu Huang, Huiling Zhou, Sha Xue, Minggang Wang, Hongwei Xu
Summary: This study aimed to assess the effects of plant-soil feedback (PSF) on companion species in grassland community succession. The results showed that the shoot biomass of the companion species was higher in early and late-stage soils compared to middle-stage soils, indicating consistent growth. However, plant growth led to a decrease in soil nutrient content and microbial biomass, resulting in a negative PSF effect in companion species.
Article
Ecology
Kailing Huang, Paul Kardol, Xuebin Yan, Xi Luo, Hui Guo
Summary: The study demonstrates that warming and nitrogen enrichment can alleviate the negative effects of soil biota on plant growth, changing plant community composition and reducing species diversity. The effects of soil biota are correlated with changes in plant relative abundances, providing insights into plant responses to environmental change.
FUNCTIONAL ECOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Xiliang Li, Zhen Zhang, Xiaotao Lu, Yuanheng Li, Ke Jin, Wim H. Van Der Putten
Summary: The composition of plant and soil microbial communities plays a key role in ecosystem functioning. This study focused on the microbiomes within soil aggregates of different size classes and examined their roles in plant-soil feedbacks and diversity-dependent overyielding. The results showed that the non-additive effects of microbiomes within different soil aggregates significantly influenced plant-soil feedbacks and diversity-dependent overyielding.
JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT
(2022)
Article
Microbiology
Fengqiao Li, Zhili Jin, Zichen Wang, Yangwenke Liao, Li Yu, Xiaogang Li
Summary: Fungal community assembly along the soil-root continuum is largely influenced by the host plant rather than the soil type. This finding facilitates the implementation of fungi-associated biocontrol and growth-promoting strategies for specific plants in agriculture, regardless of geographical variations. Furthermore, the depletion of complex ecological associations in the fungal community along the soil-root continuum and the enhancement of facilitations among rhizoplane-associated fungal taxa provide empirical evidence for the potential of community simplification as an approach to target the plant rhizoplane for specific applications. The identified indicators Mortierella and Pyrenochaetopsis along the soil-root microbiome continuum are good predictors of tobacco plant agronomic traits and should be given attention when manipulating the root-associated microbiome.
Article
Microbiology
Kristin Aleklett, Daniel Rosa, Brian John Pickles, Miranda M. Hart
Summary: Little is known about the impact of plant life events on the composition of the plant microbiome. This study manipulated the timing of microbial exposure and the priority effects of early colonizers to investigate their effects on the root microbiota in mature plants. The results showed that the timing of soil exposure in the early life stages of a plant plays an important role in the development of the root microbiota in mature plants.
FRONTIERS IN MICROBIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Aliya Fazal, Zhongling Wen, Minkai Yang, Changyi Wang, Chenyu Hao, Xiaohui Lai, Wencai Jie, Liu Yang, Zhuoyu He, Huan Yang, Jinfeng Cai, Jinliang Qi, Guihua Lu, Kechang Niu, Shucun Sun, Yonghua Yang
Summary: Plant roots continuously influence the rhizosphere and recruit microorganisms with desirable functions. The effects of genetically engineered (GE) crops on the rhizosphere microbiome need further research. This study analyzed the effects of triple-transgenic soybean cultivation and glyphosate application on the bacterial and fungal communities in the rhizosphere, surrounding, and bulk soil compartments. The results revealed that the treatments significantly influenced the diversity, composition, and function of the microbial communities.
ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION
(2023)
Article
Soil Science
Willem-Jan Emsens, Maartje de Weyer, Ivette Fuentes, Yvonne Liczner, Rudy van Digglen, Erik Verbruggen
Summary: Soil inoculation from plant species-rich into species-poor grasslands can facilitate the establishment of self facilitating networks between microbes and vegetation, thereby influencing ecosystem development. The impact of inoculation on community assembly is stronger for vegetation and fungi than for prokaryotes. Environmental filters play a major role in shaping fungal communities, with nutrient-poor sites showing higher resemblance to the donor. The success of target plant colonization can be predicted by the establishment of fungal communities, but overall succession outcome is determined by environmental factors.
SOIL BIOLOGY & BIOCHEMISTRY
(2022)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
M. R. Whitehead, J. L. Silcock, C. L. Simmons, L. Monks, R. Dillon, N. Reiter, M. Jusaitis, D. J. Coates, M. Byrne, P. A. Vesk
Summary: A chief tool in plant conservation is the establishment of threatened plant populations by translocating individuals grown ex-situ. Various techniques to enhance translocation performance have become established as standard, including the number of propagules planted, fencing to protect from herbivores, and stimulating recruitment. Factors influencing recruitment were uncertain, but burning and watering increased its likelihood. Translocations in grassland habitats and of perennial grasses performed worse compared to other habitats and lifeforms. Our study supports the effectiveness of a limited number of management interventions and emphasizes the need for more experimental data to improve our understanding of factors influencing success in plant translocations.
BIOLOGICAL CONSERVATION
(2023)
Article
Microbiology
Kaikai Min, Tiantian Zheng, Xuefeng Zhu, Xuelian Bao, Laurel Lynch, Chao Liang
Summary: Litter decomposition is a crucial ecosystem process that influences energy and nutrient cycling. This study found that deciduous litter decomposes faster than coniferous litter, with different bacterial community composition and diversity. Decomposition of coniferous litter resulted in strong environmental selection and biological interactions, leading to a shift in community assembly.
FEMS MICROBIOLOGY ECOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Ziyang Liu, Richard Michalet, Chenyue Wang, Yajun Wang, Jingwei Chen, Hanwen Cui, Hongxian Song, Jiajia Wang, Zi Yang, Lizhe An, Sa Xiao, Shuyan Chen
Summary: In alpine systems, cushion plants play a crucial role in modifying local environmental conditions. Different phenotypes of alpine cushion species have varying effects on understory plant species, either promoting or inhibiting their growth. Moreover, dependent species within each community type exhibit divergent responses to different cushion phenotypes, which can be categorized into specific response groups. However, only a limited number of studies have investigated the responses of dependent communities at the species-group level, particularly for both above-ground and below-ground communities.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Yanbo Yang, Zhaoliang Zhong, Lixin Jing, Qi Li, Huimei Wang, Wenjie Wang
Summary: The distribution pattern of evolutionary diversity and its drivers under nature conservation in boreal forests were investigated. Different protection intensities resulted in variations in community phylogeny, with trees, shrubs, and herbs showing different distribution patterns. Community traits, geoclimatic factors, and conservation processes were identified as the main drivers of phylogeny variation.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Article
Microbiology
Shi Chen, Lulu Wang, Jiamin Gao, Yiwen Zhao, Yang Wang, Jiejun Qi, Ziheng Peng, Beibei Chen, Haibo Pan, Zhifeng Wang, Hang Gao, Shuo Jiao, Gehong Wei
Summary: The flowering stage of soybean is crucial for its yield, quality, and adaptability. The cropping system can affect soil properties, fertility, and microbial communities, which in turn impact plant growth and yield. This study investigates the effects of intercropping and crop rotation on the microbial community composition in different compartments of soybean plants. Results show that intercropping reduces species diversity in the rhizosphere and phyllosphere, with phylloaphere microbes mainly originating from the rhizosphere. Intercropping increases stochastic assembly processes of bacterial communities, while crop rotation enhances the complexity and stability of the rhizosphere network and the deterministic assembly process. These findings highlight the importance of intercropping, crop rotation, and plant compartments for crop management and sustainable regulation of microbial communities.
FRONTIERS IN MICROBIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Athmanathan Senthilnathan, Rafael D'Andrea
Summary: Interactions between plants and soil play a crucial role in shaping plant community structure and spatial distribution. While traditionally considered as one-directional, recent studies have shown that plants can actively modify soil conditions through their roots and interactions with soil microbes, leading to bidirectional plant-soil feedbacks. To understand how these feedbacks influence community dynamics, researchers have developed a mathematical model that incorporates soil conditioning over time and analyzes the long-term composition and spatial patterns of plant communities. The model reveals that positive plant-soil feedbacks result in clustering of species with similar soil preferences, and the composition of these clusters is further influenced by niche width and conditioning strength.
Article
Plant Sciences
Kunquan Chen, Yuanfang Pan, Yeqi Li, Jiaying Cheng, Haili Lin, Wenhua Zhuo, Yan He, Yaocheng Fang, Yong Jiang
Summary: This study investigated the impact of slope position on functional traits and environmental factors of shrub communities in the low hilly area of Guilin, China. The results showed that slope position has a significant influence on plant functional traits and environmental factors, contributing to understanding the effects of environmental filtering on plant community assembly.
FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Haiyang Zhang, Amber C. Churchill, Ian C. Anderson, Chioma Igwenagu, Sally A. Power, Jonathan M. Plett, Catriona A. Macdonald, Elise Pendall, Yolima Carrillo, Jeff R. Powell
Summary: This study assessed the variation in carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus in symbiotic fungi and a host plant in response to experimental warming and drought. The results showed that climate change exacerbated fungal phosphorus accumulation and modified the composition of symbiotic fungal communities.
Article
Agronomy
Samantha E. Andres, Nathan J. Emery, Paul D. Rymer, Jeff R. Powell
Summary: This study identified candidate fungi and soil physiochemical properties associated with observed dieback and dieback resistance in an Endangered shrub and provides groundwork for further exploring what drives dieback and how it can be managed to promote the conservation of wild populations.
Article
Ecology
Eleonora Egidi, Manuel Delgado-Baquerizo, Miguel Berdugo, Emilio Guirado, Davide Albanese, Brajesh K. Singh, Claudia Coleine
Summary: Increases in aridity negatively impact fungal community composition. The most important environmental factors driving community shifts are UV index, climate seasonality, and sand content. Increases in UV and temperature seasonality are associated with higher probability of plant pathogen and saprotroph occurrence, while these factors have a negative relationship with litter and soil saprotroph richness. These findings highlight the sensitivity of fungal groups in drylands to shifts in UV radiation and climate seasonality.
GLOBAL ECOLOGY AND BIOGEOGRAPHY
(2023)
Article
Plant Sciences
Paula Lopezosa, Miguel Berdugo, Jimmy Morales-Marquez, Estrella Pastor, Manuel Delgado-Baquerizo, Andreu Bonet, Juntao Wang, Brajesh K. Singh, Santiago Soliveres
Summary: Soil biota plays crucial roles in nutrient cycling and climate regulation, and contributes significantly to global biodiversity. However, little is known about how soil biota responds to habitat fragmentation and degradation. In this study, we investigated the response of different soil trophic groups to changes in habitat derived from forest management and tree die-off in a Mediterranean ecosystem.
JOURNAL OF ECOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Zoology
Hongwei Liu, Mark A. Hall, Laura E. Brettell, Juntao Wang, Megan Halcroft, Scott Nacko, Robert Spooner-Hart, James M. Cook, Markus Riegler, Brajesh K. Singh
Summary: We investigated the gut microbiomes of two species of stingless bees in eastern Australia and explored potential correlations with geographical and morphological factors. Our findings reveal the core microbiomes of these bees and the influence of body size, species identity, and management approach on gut microbial diversity and composition. We also observed a decrease in similarity between bee colonies as geographic distance increased. Interestingly, the abundance of bacteria was higher than that of fungi in the bee guts.
JOURNAL OF INVERTEBRATE PATHOLOGY
(2023)
Review
Microbiology
Brajesh K. Singh, Manuel Delgado-Baquerizo, Eleonora Egidi, Emilio Guirado, Jan E. Leach, Hongwei Liu, Pankaj Trivedi
Summary: This review explores the impact of future climate scenarios on plant pathogen burden and biogeography, as well as their interaction with the plant microbiome and the consequences on plant disease and productivity. Climate change increases the risk of disease outbreaks by altering pathogen evolution and host-pathogen interactions, and facilitating the emergence of new pathogenic strains. The spread of plant diseases can also be increased as pathogen range shifts to new areas.
NATURE REVIEWS MICROBIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Agronomy
Hongwei Liu, Juntao Wang, Manuel Delgado-Baquerizo, Haiyang Zhang, Jiayu Li, Brajesh K. Singh
Summary: This study provides evidence that soil-borne pathogens disrupt plant microbiomes and affect the plant's immune response to pathogens.
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Jinsong Liang, Huan Lin, Brajesh Singh, Aijie Wang, Zhenzhen Yan
Summary: This study investigates antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) in biofilters of drinking water treatment plants (DWTPs) and finds that the source water types significantly influence the ARGs abundance. Although the ARGs abundance is higher in surface water biofilters compared to groundwater biofilters, the risk pattern of ARGs is similar in both. Additionally, two antibiotics biosynthesis pathways are found to be positively correlated with several ARG types, indicating their potential roles in the ecological genesis of ARGs.
Article
Microbiology
Brajesh K. Singh, Zhen-Zhen Yan, Maxine Whittaker, Ronald Vargas, Ahmed Abdelfattah
Summary: An integrated science-policy-society interface is required to address One Health goals, with explicit considerations of soil microbiomes.
NATURE MICROBIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Jianwei Zhang, Youzhi Feng, Fernando T. Maestre, Miguel Berdugo, Juntao Wang, Claudia Coleine, Tadeo Saez-Sandino, Laura Garcia-Velazquez, Brajesh K. Singh, Manuel Delgado-Baquerizo
Summary: Based on a global field survey of 383 sites with different climatic and vegetation conditions, this study reveals that soil biodiversity and functions exhibit pervasive nonlinear behaviors worldwide, predominantly regulated by water availability. Changes in water availability have significant impacts on soil biodiversity (bacteria, fungi, protists, and invertebrates) and soil functions including plant-microbe interactions, plant productivity, soil biogeochemical cycles, and soil carbon sequestration. This study suggests that crossing specific water availability thresholds can have critical consequences for the provision of essential ecosystem services needed to sustain our planet.
NATURE ECOLOGY & EVOLUTION
(2023)
Article
Soil Science
Krista L. Plett, Marlow Monk, Angus J. Carnegie, Jeff R. Powell, Phil Green, Jonathan M. Plett
Summary: The presence of native vegetation significantly affects the establishment and productivity of new forest plantations. In a study site in New South Wales, Australia, the growth of a Pinus radiata plantation is hindered by the native shrub Allocasuarina nana, even after its removal. The inhibitory effect is attributed to root-associated metabolites and the inhibition of the fungal community that supports P. radiata health.
APPLIED SOIL ECOLOGY
(2023)
Review
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Poonam Kumari, Nikky Deepa, Prabodh Kumar Trivedi, Brajesh K. Singh, Vaibhav Srivastava, Akanksha Singh
Summary: Many plants have bioactive secondary metabolites that are important in the pharmaceutical industry. To meet industry demands and conserve natural habitats, medicinal plants are being cultivated on a large scale. However, the use of agrochemicals for higher yield and pest management has negative impacts on the ecosystem, including biodiversity loss and health hazards. Endophytic microorganisms have potential as eco-friendly alternatives, and their interactions with plants can lead to the synthesis of pharmaceutically important compounds. This review explores the relationship between plants and endophytes, highlighting their multifaceted interactions and proposing the manipulation of the microbiome for a more sustainable and pharmaceutically enriched future.
MICROBIAL CELL FACTORIES
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Tao Wen, Penghao Xie, Hongwei Liu, Ting Liu, Mengli Zhao, Shengdie Yang, Guoqing Niu, Lauren Hale, Brajesh K. Singh, George A. Kowalchuk, Qirong Shen, Jun Yuan
Summary: Prebiotics are compounds that selectively stimulate beneficial microorganisms and can be used to manage human gut health. In this study, the authors identify metabolites from the rhizosphere soil that can be used as prebiotics to protect tomato and other Solanaceae crops from pathogen invasion. The application of these prebiotics also enriches the rhizosphere soil microbiome and enhances pathways related to carbon metabolism and autotoxin degradation.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2023)
Review
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Prachi Singh, Anukool Vaishnav, Hongwei Liu, Chao Xiong, Harikesh Bahadur Singh, Brajesh K. Singh
Summary: The utilization of microbial inoculants in sustainable agriculture and ecosystem restoration has significantly increased, driven by advancements in understanding plant-microbe interactions and the need for sustainable strategies. However, limitations remain in their efficacy and performance under field conditions. Seed biopriming, which involves priming beneficial microbes on seeds and hydrating them, has the potential to address these limitations by protecting seeds against pathogens and pollutants, promoting germination and improving soil health. Additionally, it can refine plant and soil microbiomes and maintain beneficial microflora in soil. This review article aims to enhance our understanding of seed biopriming as a valuable tool in achieving sustainable agriculture and successful ecosystem restoration.
MICROBIAL BIOTECHNOLOGY
(2023)
Letter
Food Science & Technology
Brajesh K. Singh, Evan D. G. Fraser, Tom Arnold, Patricia Biermayr-Jenzano, Jacqueline E. W. Broerse, Gianluca Brunori, Patrick Caron, Olivier De Schutter, Karen Fabbri, Shenggen Fan, Jessica Fanzo, Magdalena Gajdzinska, Mirjana Gurinovic, Marta Hugas, Jacqueline McGlade, Christine Nellemann, Jemimah Njuki, Hanna L. Tuomisto, Seta Tutundjian, Justus Wesseler, Roberta Sonnino, Patrick Webb